Love, Lucy
by boxers-or-briefs
Summary: Someone's following Lucy. Watching every move that she makes. COMPLETE. Sequel is Signed, Anonymous.
1. Man In The Shadows

Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own anything even remotely affiliated with the television drama 7th Heaven. Everything belongs to the show's creator, Brenda Hampton._ But_, I do own Lucy's stalker and everything else that is _not_ from the show.   


* * *

**_Love, Lucy_** **__**

  


A delicate hand, slender and graceful, picked up the skinny black Papermate pen, touching it to the surface of the smooth, white, paper. 

She was beautiful. Like a porcelain doll, hand painted with a steady hand, tinges of pinks and other pretty colors. Her skin, peaches and cream colored. Smooth. Soft. Her eyes blue, loving, kind, fit her perfectly. And that smile. So perfect and sweet. Always genuine, never plastered on just to make someone happy. No. Even for photographs the smile was her own. Never fake. 

He had been watching her. Following her. He had spotted her at the park with that police officer. Kinkirk. Kevin Kinkirk. Her husband. That had been months ago. 

But he let Kinkirk slide. For now. Her husband would be no match for him. He wanted her. That beautiful woman. Even more gorgeous than any of the most famous supermodels. He always got what he wanted. Always. 

Only now, he watched. Plotting. 

She had lead him down to the church. Her father's church, where she often came. Afterall, she was training to become a minister. Like father, like daughter, he supposed. 

He knew Eric Camden, yes. Knew him well. Minister of the Glenoak Community Church. _Protestant_ minister. Father to seven beautiful children, all do-gooders. Except for, perhaps, that Mary. She has a bad streak within her, he observed. She was the only one. The only _bad_ one. The rest? All good...so far. 

But Eric Camden was a good man. A smart man. Sometimes, a little _too_ trusting, but that was a good thing for him. Eric Camden trusted him. Camden would never think that his good friend had any interest in his _married_ daughter. Would never even suspect that his good friend had been stalking her for three months. 

Never. 

Maybe Eric Camden wasn't so smart afterall. 

He chuckled to himself. 

Lucy Kinkirk sat neatly in her father's chair, behind that old, wooden desk, writing a letter to her former best friend, Suzanne. Suzanne had moved away when Lucy was still a child. They still wrote to each other, but the letters became less and less frequent. 

Lucy, being the caring soul that she is, had decided to start the letters back up again. Letters filled with joy and silly family anecdotes. 

Here he sat, way up in the church's attic. It wasn't much of an attic, just some wooden rafters used for storage, but even then no one came up. He had carved a small hole in the cheap ceiling, nothing but some type of thin styrofoam, right over the desk. He could see Lucy and whatever she was doing. But Lucy was all that was important to him. 

From his perch, he watched her write: _Love, Lucy._

God, she was beautiful. 

He felt his heart pound as Lucy licked the envelope to seal it. 

All the Camden women were beautiful. Annie, Mary, Lucy, and Ruthie. Ruthie was still just a child, but her features were bold, elegant. But it wasn't Ruthie he wanted. 

Sure, Mary was cute, but Lucy was drop-dead, get-out-of-town, gorgeous. 

She was going to be his. 

Screw Kevin. 

It was Lucy he wanted. Lucy, he shall get. 

* * *

A/N: Hey, I know it's not very long, but it's just the first chapter. I hope this story has gotten at least _some_ of your attention. Please REVIEW, if you want to see some more of this story.   
  
I'm kind of stuck with Precious Memories, and my other stories, so I thought I'd try something new.   
  
Again, please REVIEW! It keeps me motivated....sometimes. Most of the time. ;)   
  
Au Revoir,   
  
Carrie 


	2. This Game We Play

Disclaimer: See chapter one.   


  


**_Love, Lucy_**

* * *

  


The round knob on the backdoor turned and with a soft click, the door was pushed open, revealing a windswept Lucy. She was carrying a brown briefcase in one hand, her purse and school books in the other. 

"Ruthie, could you get that?" Lucy asked as she stumbled over to the wooden table, setting the heavy items down. 

Ruthie, who had just appeared from the stairway, nodded and made her way to the door that stood ajar. 

"Why do you have Dad's briefcase?" Ruthie asked, curiously, after shutting the door. 

Lucy ran a hand through her matted hair. "I was down at the church and Dad asked me to bring it home for him." 

"Oh," Ruthie sighed. "Well, Dad's upstairs." 

Lucy smiled. "Thanks," she replied before grabbing her purse and the briefcase, then heading upstairs. 

Ruthie lingered around the table, scanning Lucy's school books. There was nothing of interest to her. Ruthie shrugged, grabbed her coat off of the back of a chair, and headed out the door Lucy had just come through.   


* * *

  


"Annie, it's just a game of pool," Eric argued with his wife, who was cleaning in their bedroom. 

Annie walked into the bathroom, picked up a washcloth and towel, and brought them out into the room. She dropped them into a clothes basket before replying. 

"I've told you before, Eric. I just don't trust the guy." 

"Why not? Thomas Hunter is a nice guy!" 

Annie was making the bed, now, but stopped to face her husband. "Fine. Go play pool with Thomas Hunter. But when something goes wrong, don't come cryin' to me!" 

Annie exited the room, leaving the bed unmade. 

Eric watched his wife storm out of the room. He smiled slightly, nervously. "There. That wasn't so hard." 

Even though he spoke the words, Eric felt somewhat uneasy about Thomas Hunter. 

Why didn't Annie like him? Why did she feel that he wasn't completely there? Thomas Hunter is a good guy. A _good_ guy. Right? 

"Uh...Dad?" Lucy called from the doorway. 

"Yeah?" Eric's eyes focused upon his daughter. 

"I have your briefcase," Lucy lifted the brown case to show her father. 

Eric walked over to Lucy and accepted his briefcase. 

"Thanks," he said, kissing her on the forehead. 

"So, you're going to play pool?" Lucy asked. She had overheard her parents' conversation. 

"Yeah, with a good friend of mine, Thomas Hunter," Eric explained. 

"Thomas Hunter? You've never said anything about him before." 

"Thomas Hunter is a good guy. A nice guy. Tell your mother that, will you?" Eric patted Lucy on the shoulder before walking past her. 

"Uh-huh," Lucy muttered, leaving the room. 

* * *

  


Thomas Hunter was seated at the bar, when Eric Camden came strolling in. Eric slipped off his coat, hung it on one of the hooks by the entrance, and headed over to Thomas. 

Thomas was a man of forty years. His hair had already begun to thin in the back, so now he had a small bald spot. He was a tall man, just a few inches shorter than Eric. His body was a nice build, slender, buff. Thomas told him that he worked out when he was still _young._ Tom had a nice personality, too. A personality that was much like Eric's. But a personality can change. 

"Hey, Tom," Eric greeted his friend, taking the empty stool beside him. 

Thomas looked at his buddy, and grinned. "It's about time." 

Eric was about to reply, but the bartender spoke first.   
  
"What'll it be, Reverend?" 

Eric glanced at the bartender, Jerry, and flashed him his best minister smile. "Water'll be fine, thanks." 

Jerry smiled, tossing the white towel that he held over his left shoulder. "Coming right up." 

Eric Camden turned back to Thomas. "Sorry. I got caught with with Annie." 

"Annie," Thomas pictured Eric's wife in his mind. "How is she?" 

"Fine," Eric replied. He was about to add something else, but held himself back. 

"And the rest of the clan?" Thomas took a sip of his beverage that sat before him. 

"Everyone's doing good, actually." 

Jerry was coming with Eric's water. 

"Here you are, Rev," Jerry placed a napkin in front of Eric before setting the wet glass on it. 

"Thanks, Jerry." 

When Jerry walked away once more, Eric and Thomas started up their conversation again. 

"Good? Well, that's a first. No one's in trouble?" Thomas had a grin on his face, which made Eric slightly uncomfortable. 

Eric shook his head. "How 'bout a round of pool?" Eric gestured to a free table. 

Thomas agreed and stepped down from his stool. Eric set his water down and followed. 

Eric was racking up the balls when Thomas asked another question that disturbed Eric.   
  
"How's Lucy?" 

Eric paused, a striped orange ball in his hand. He raised his eyes to meet Thomas's. 

"Fine," Eric continued to rack the balls. Why would Thomas be asking about Lucy? Just Lucy. 

"Her schoolwork coming okay?" Thomas had a pool stick clutched in his hands, knuckles white. His piercing blue eyes were set on Eric. 

"She's doing great. Your shot," Eric had the balls set up and ready to go. He grabbed a nearby stick and waited for Thomas to start the game. 

Thomas looked disappointed that Eric had cut the conversation short, but leaned over the table, stick between his fingers, ready to shoot. 

Eric studied Thomas, caring much less about the game. What was going on here?   


* * *

  


A/N: Hey, guys. Thanks for all the great reviews. I'm really glad that you like this story. Hope this chapter has interested you even more. ;) Please REVIEW!! I hope to get the next chapter out soon. Thanks, again. 

Au Revior, 

Carrie   



	3. A Long, Uncomfortable, Night

Disclaimer: See chapter one: _Man in the Shadows._   


A/N: Hey, guys. Thanks again for all the great reviews. I really appreciate it, but just a hint: when you review, you only have to push that button once when you're finished. Yeah? Okay, then. Lol. Just thought I should say something. But I still love reviews!   
  
  
  


**_Love, Lucy_**   


* * *

  
  
  
  


"Tom, would you like to eat dinner at our house tonight?" Eric took his coat down from the rack and slipped it on, tugging it over his shoulders, while watching Thomas's expression turn from shock to absolute happiness. 

"Sure," Thomas accepted eagerly. His smile was back. That little, sly smile that Eric didn't trust. "What time should I come around?" 

Eric smiled briefly. "Five is fine." 

"All right," Thomas's tone was energetic. "See you then, pal." 

Thomas snatched his jacket off the rack and rushed out the door. 

Eric watched his friend leave, wondering why he was so excited. It could be that he lives alone, and is thankful for a meal with other living souls, or it could be something else. 

Eric, mentally, shook his head, shrugging off the thought. Now he was worried what Annie would think. One thing was for sure: he was sleeping on the couch tonight.   


* * *

  


The garage door shut below Lucy and Kevin's apartment. 

Lucy was seated at the table, studying for a an important test that was coming up soon, when Kevin walked into the room. 

"Hey, Kev," Lucy greeted her husband without looking up from her textbook. 

Kevin sighed. "Hey, Luce." 

Kevin sat on the queen sized bed and began to remove his boots. 

"Long day?" Lucy asked, setting down her highlighter to look at her husband. 

"You could say that," Kevin had successfully removed one boot and was now untying the other one. "How's the studying coming?" 

Lucy glanced back at her pile of loose binder paper with notes scribbled down, two open textbooks, highlighters, and pens. She turned back to Kevin before replying, "Okay." 

Kevin smiled and managed a small chuckle. "Not so good?" 

"I'm just not feeling very....focused," Lucy explained, getting up from the chair and going to sit by Kevin on the bed. 

"Why not?" Kevin asked as Lucy sat down. 

"Eh," Lucy grunted. "It's probably just something stupid, but Mom doesn't like one of Dad's friends for some reason, and I just haven't gotten it out of my head yet. It's no big deal." 

Kevin nodded, paused, then asked, "So, when's dinner?" 

Lucy smiled and nudged Kevin, playfully, with her elbow. She could always count on Kevin to be hungry when she was explaining her thoughts to him.   


* * *

  


"You _what_?!" Annie yelled. 

"I just invited him for dinner," Eric explained. 

"You know I don't trust that man and you invited him to eat in _our_ house anyway?!" Annie scoffed and turned on her heels to leave the kitchen. 

"Well, what do you want me to do, now? _Uninvite_ him?" Eric had followed Annie, much to her dislike. 

Annie had one foot on the bottom step of the stairway in the foyer, when Eric spoke. She turned around, stepped off of the step, faced her husband and glared at him. "Yes," she replied angrily. 

This was very unlike her. "Well, I can't do that--" 

Annie rolled her eyes and continued up the stairs, ignoring whatever else Eric had to say.   


* * *

  


_My dearest Lucy,___

_ I find you incredibly amazing. I want to spend every second of my time with you. But you don't know me....That makes me very sad._   
_ I want you, Lucy Kinkirk._   
_ I want you to be my wife._   
_ I love you._   
_ But there's a problem: your husbamd._   
_ I don't like problems._   
_ I want you to leave your husband. Go far away. And don't you come back. Ever. If you even say a word to Kevin or any other living soul about this or what you are doing....well, Kevin is as good as dead. Catch my drift?_   
_ And remember....I'm always watching you, Lucy Kinkirk.___

He folded the note and laughed to himself. Lucy Kinkirk would be his, soon. But not soon enough.   
  
He grabbed the blank, white envelope that was nearby, and slipped the letter into it, then licked it shut. 

Lucy Kinkirk was soon to be his wife. 

He was addressing the envelope, now. Each symbol was printed with great care. 

Kevin Kinkirk was as good as dead. He wasn't a fan of Kinkirk anyway. And things that he didn't like, he got rid of. For good.   


* * *

  


It was around four fifty when Thomas Hunter arrived at the Camden household. He could hear muffled voices and faint sounds of movement. 

Before he rang the doorbell, he made sure that his hair was still slicked back, that no naughty, little hairs had stuck up, and straightened his nice, brown jacket. 

A young girl answered the door. Her hair was chocolate brown, eyes bright and happy. She looked to be around thirteen or fourteen years old, so Thomas guessed that this had to be Ruthie. 

"Hi," Ruthie greeted him cheerfully. "You're Thomas, right?" 

"Yes, that's correct. And you must be Ruthie," Thomas extended his right hand out to Ruthie. 

She smiled and shook the hand that he had offered her. 

"Please, come in," Ruthie stepped aside so that Thomas could enter. 

Eric was coming down the small hallway between the kitchen and the foyer. 

"Thomas, welcome," Eric was smiling. 

Thomas's face brightened as Eric greeted him. "Thanks for inviting me, Rev," Thomas often called Eric Rev. "There's nothing like Annie's cookin'," 

Ruthie's eyebrows came together. "But you've never eaten here before." 

Thomas looked down at her. He was smiling, but his eyes were nervous. "Oh, well, I've heard about your mother's cooking, and that's what people say about it, so I thought I would--" 

Eric cut him off, seeing that Thomas was struggling. Ruthie could often make people feel intimidated without meaning to, or evening know that she was doing it. "Why don't we just go eat?" 

Thomas, grateful for Eric's interruption, nodded and chuckled nervously. 

Ruthie followed the men into the dining room. There was something weird about Thomas. She just didn't know what it was yet.   


* * *

  


Dinner was awkward and everybody felt it. Annie would glare at Eric every time Thomas wasn't looking.   
  
Eric, sensing Annie's dagger eyes, would poke at his plate, never looking up except to talk to his friend, every so often.   
  
Thomas would stare at Lucy with eyes filled with interest.   
  
Kevin was not very happy about that, so he would watch Thomas, anger in his eyes.   
  
Ruthie and Lucy, who were seated across from each other, would look at each other and hold a silent conversation. They were feeling very uncomfortable, Lucy more that Ruthie because she had Thomas staring at her. Both were very glad when it was over. 

"It was nice seeing you again, Thomas," Annie was saying. She, Eric, and Thomas were standing in the foyer, saying their good byes. "See you at church on Sunday," Annie left the two men, and headed upstairs. 

When Thomas was sure that Annie was out of earshot, he commented, "I don't think your wife likes me very much." 

Eric pretended to act surprised. "Why do you say that? Annie_ loves_ you." 

Thomas nodded, catching Eric's lie. "I thought you minister people weren't supposed to tell a lie." 

Eric dropped his head for a short second. "I'm sorry. She'll come around." 

Thomas was grabbing his coat. "Sure she will. Good night." 

"Good night, Tom," Eric opened the door for Thomas and then closed it behind him. 

At that moment, Annie came back down the stairs, carrying a blanket and a pillow. She shoved it into Eric's arms and said, "Your bed." 

Before Eric even had a chance to reply, Annie had left. 

Eric sighed and leaned against the front door. It was going to be a long night.   


* * *

  


As Kevin and Lucy were lying in bed that night, Kevin rolled over to face Lucy and said, "I don't like Dad's friend." 

Lucy turned to look at Kevin, a confused expression on her face. "Why not? He seems like a nice guy." 

Kevin wasn't buying it. "I didn't like the way he was staring at you. Only _I_ can look at you that way."   
  
Lucy sighed and rolled over. "Let it go, Kevin," she said softly. 

"There's something about him that I don't trust," Kevin went on. 

Lucy looked at Kevin once more. "Do you think that I'm going to run off with him or something?" Kevin was silent. Lucy gave a small laugh. "I love you, Kevin. Only you. Now, good night." 

Kevin kissed Lucy on the forehead. "I love you, too. 'Night." 

* * *

  


A/N: Hope you liked this chapter. Oh, and I have something that I want to get off of my chest. It's a response to a review that I got today....No, I'm not a lesbo, I don't hate Mary, and I don't think Lucy is as whiny as she used to be.   
Go back and read the review if you'd like. I haven't deleted it. It was quite funny. Thanks for the entertainment. 

Anyway, please REVIEW. 

Au Revoir, 

Carrie 


	4. Interference

Disclaimer: See chapter one: _Man in the Shadows._ :)   
  
  
  
  
  


**_Love, Lucy_**

  
  
  


It had been two days. Two long days since that dinner fiasco. The couch hadn't been very pleasant to sleep on, although that was where Eric Camden was sleeping for the last couple of nights. Needless to say, Annie still hadn't forgiven him. 

There was much tension in the house, and everyone could feel it. Even Lucy and Kevin who didn't even sleep in the house knew something was wrong and were smart to stay out of Annie's way. 

Eric had been doing everything possible to get Annie back on speaking terms with him. Obviously, he hadn't been very successful. Not only was Annie not speaking to him, she had become very annoyed with his lame attempts to get in good with her. She wouldn't speak a word to him. Not one little word. 

All that aside, it was another painful day for Eric, as he stood in the kitchen next to Annie and helped her clean up the dishes that remained in the sink. He had been pointing out to her over and over how sorry he was. Her silence had been consistent. 

It was horrible to have to listen to the empty air that hung around the house. No one to talk to but his own children, who weren't even around very often to hear whatever it was he had to say. He didn't think it could get any worse than this Of course, he was wrong. 

"Were you not at that dinner?" Annie asked him. Her voice was hard, but her eyes, her stare, was harder. It was painful to look at her. 

Eric scratched a spot at the back of his neck before replying meekly, "Well, yeah, but I didn't noticed anything _wrong_ with Tom." 

Annie scoffed and shook her head at him. One of her sarcastic smiled appeared on her face. Eric hated when she did that. It always told him, "don't play games with me, mister." 

Eric hadn't said anything, was afraid to say anything, but finally cracked. "What?! Tom's a nice guy. What was he doing wrong?" Eric asked, sincerely not knowing the answer. 

"How can you be so naive?" Annie slapped the dishtowel that she had been holding, down onto the tiled countertop. "What 'nice guy' stares at his friend's daughter like she some kind of- of- of sex toy?!" 

Eric's eyes grew wide. "Sex toy?! Annie, come on! He wasn't watching Lucy like she was some kind of sex toy," Eric said defensively. 

"Maybe you just can't remember because you were too busy picking at your food to notice," Annie brushed past Eric and rounded the corner. 

_Ouch.___

Eric shook his head and took a breath, trying to calm himself down. He had to get out. He needed some male energy. Or maybe he just needed to get out and be alone. He grabbed his worn, tan coat from the rack and slammed the back door behind him. 

Ruthie, who had come down from the stairs soon enough to hear her parents' argument, stepped the rest of the war off of the last step. Her parents hardly ever fought like that. It had been almost three days already, and they still hadn't made up. 

Ruthie shook off her parents for a moment and decided to go and get the mail. Bills. Bills. Junk. Bills. Something for Lucy. Bi---Wait. She had been scanning the envelopes and stopped at this particular one. There was something that gave her a weird feeling about this one. It didn't have a return address on it. Anyone who mailed something to Lucy put return addresses on it. Maybe they just didn't want to be replied to. Maybe they didn't want to be found out. 

Not bothering to go through any of the other mail, Ruthie headed inside, setting the remaining envelopes on the round, oak, table. She took the envelope addressed to Lucy upstairs to her room to investigate.   


~   


"Honey, I'm home," Kevin greeted his wife as he stepped into the small garage apartment, taking off his smoking jacket. 

Lucy turned in her chair. She had been hunched over a pile of books with passages that had been highlighted in a bright yellow. 

"Hey," she said, smiling. Lucy got up, walked over to him, and kissed him lightly on the lips. 

"Studying?" Kevin asked, sitting on the bed, laying his jacket beside him. 

Lucy glanced at the table and sighed. "Yeah, but I was thinking..." 

Kevin stopped untying his boots for a moment and looked up at her. "Thinking about what?" 

"I was thinking--if you don't mind--about having dinner with Roxanne," Lucy got her almost-in-pain-but-not-quite look on her face. 

Kevin chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. "Relax, it's fine. Have fun." 

Lucy smiled. Kevin loved when she did that. Actually, he loved everything that she did. He loved that woman. 

"I love you," Lucy said. 

Kevin sat upright and smiled at her. "I love you, too." 

She kissed him once more. Then she got up off the bed, grabbed her jacket and keys, and blew him a kiss good-bye. 

He returned it, and she was gone. 

Man, he loved that woman. She was his life.   


~   


He was in the bushes, following her. Staying in the shadows. She must have gotten the letter by now and was leaving. Leaving to come to him. To be with him. Together forever. 

She was getting in the car. She was about to pull out of the drive, when someone stopped her. 

Damn it. 

It was a girl. Her sister. The little one. What was her name? Renee or Rudy, or something. He knew it, it just wasn't coming to mind at the moment. She was holding something. Something on a white piece of paper. Then he knew. It was his letter. _The _letter. Damn it! 

But wait. Lucy was waving her off. She was in a hurry. He was far away, but close enough to catch a few words. 

"...when I...back..." Lucy was saying, and now she was driving off. 

The sister just stood there, watching her. 

He jumped out of the bushes and instantly put his hand over her mouth. He dragged her off to a dark place around the house. She put up a hell of a struggle, but in the end, he won. 

Her eyes were wide and frightened. He couldn't take the chance of taking his hand off her mouth and let her scream for help. 

He pushed her up against the house and looked her in the eye. 

He grabbed the paper out of his hand and asked her, "This isn't yours." 

The girl shook her head with difficulty, scraping it against the rough outside of the house. 

"Didn't your parents ever teach you not to read other people's mail?" 

She didn't move this time, just stared at him. 

"When you break the rules, you have to deal with the consequences." 

He pulled her head away from the wall, then shoved it back towards it. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, the whites of her eyes showing. He picked her up and dragged her off. The letter fell out of the girl's limp grasp halfway down the driveway. He didn't bother picking it up. Maybe this way Lucy would find it. If not, she would get a rude awakening when her baby sister was missing. 

This was cruel, he knew it. But sometimes, you just have to be cruel to get what you want.   



	5. Under A Sorrowful Sky Part 1

Disclaimer: See chapter one: _Man in the Shadows_. :)   
  


**_Love, Lucy_**   
_Under A Sorrowful Sky (Part 1)_

* * *

  


The bright red tomato sauce glared back at her in a daring sort of way. It was as if she was once again a silly, little, curious six year old girl, who made her food talk back to her, begging her in a high, squeaky voice not to eat it. Yet, if it were the trees (broccoli) or green beans or carrots, any type of vegetable, she would gladly push it aside and grant it's wish. 

Though, this time was different. She wasn't making her food talk back to her. The voices were all in her head. Just a stupid memory and a little imagination. After all, the spaghetti sauce didn't _really_ have eyes, therefore it couldn't stare at her the way a person could. 

"You're probably really paranoid about your parents and you're afraid that someone in the community is going to pop out of nowhere and put it in the paper, Luce," Roxanne commented as she twirled strings of the thin pasta covered in sauce around the tines of her silver fork. 

Lucy dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a clean napkin. "Since when are you the shrink of the century?" 

Roxanne smile, her cheeks puffed out from the food inside her mouth that she had not yet swallowed. After a few moments of chewing and swallowing action, Roxanne replied, "I'm just saying. I mean, you aren't exactly the sanest person in the world." Roxanne shrugged. 

Lucy smiled, going along with Roxanne's light-hearted insult. "You're probably right." 

Roxanne rolled her eyes. "I _am_ right. Lucy, there's no one following you, trust me." Roxanne set her fork back down on her now clean plate. "You ready to blow this popsicle stand?" 

Lucy nodded, feeling full for the first time in about a week. She had been so afraid that someone was watching her, but now that Roxanne, someone she trusted, told her that she was just being stupid, that feeling of paranoia left her alone. 

Roxanne grabbed the check and scanned it over. 

Lucy watched her thoughtfully, then spoke, "Here. Let me get that." 

Roxanne looked at her, eyebrow raised. "You sure?" 

Lucy smiled. "Yeah. I mean, after all, I was the one who needed to talk to you. Let me pay you back by paying for the dinner." 

Roxanne shrugged and smiled. "Okay."   


* * *

  


The room was dark and creepy. A thick layer of dust had covered the concrete floor. It was quiet. Too quiet. There was only one source of light that came from the streetlights from outside. Little streams of fluorescent light painted a kind of "X" pattern on the floor. All the windows were boarded up, long, rectangular pieces of wood were nailed from corner to corner. 

The stale air was cold on her naked body. Goose bumps blanketed her upper arms and legs. She could feel each little individual piece of dirt on her back, ginding itself into her skin. Tears filled her eyes, making her vision blurry. Her hair was strewn across the back of her head, jetting out in a half circle. A piece of duct tape covered her mouth, smothering her voice whenever she tried to scream and call for help. 

Ropes bound her wrists to some sort of loop at the bottom of the wall, her feet also tied to something she could not see. Her nails, recently painted a pearly pink, dug into the palm of her hand, making little crescent moon indentations. 

It was him. She knew his face, had seen him at church. When she closed her eyes, she could see his face, floating in darkness. That face was very familiar. She had seen him with her father a few months ago. He hadn't been around recently, but she didn't like the way he returned. 

"Now, just hold still, or I'm going to have to knock you out again." 

He was back. As he passed through the faint light, she realized what he was going to do with her. His clothes were also mysteriously missing. 

A sob sounded from Ruthie's throat as tears slipped from behind her closed eyes.   


* * *

  


Lucy Kinkirk was only minutes away from seeing the letter for the first time. She wasn't the only one who would feel the terror, though she would experience it soon enough. 

Reverend Eric Camden returned home once again. The church was not as much solace as he had hoped it to be. He couldn't erase Annie from his mind at all. Something had to be done to stop the madness. 

Eric parked the green van in the garage. He sat in the vehicle for a few superfluous minutes. His blue eyes wandered to the rearview mirror where he saw something that caught his eye. A white piece of paper was glimmering in the moonlight. 

Eric opened the car door and made his way over to the object. There was a familiar scrawl on it, he just couldn't pinpoint whose it was. 

The Reverend quickly scanned the page and became terrified just as Lucy pulled up to the curb to park. He watched her cross the lawn to him. 

"Dad, what's wrong? What's that?" she asked, glancing from her father to the letter he was holding. 

Eric couldn't respond, just handed it over to Lucy to read it for herself. 

Lucy looked into her father's eyes, her own filled with alarm. Her hand was shaking as she realized that she hadn't just been paranoid.   


* * *

  


"Ruthie," Annie called from the kitchen. Dinner was about ready and she needed Ruthie to set the table. When Ruthie didn't appear or reply, Annie called again. Soon, she had to turn off the burner and set down her spoon that she had been stirring with, and go upstairs to find her daughter. 

"Ruthie?" Annie called, softer this time. Ruthie wasn't in her bedroom, or even on the property as she would soon discover. There would be much crying and worry to go around as soon as Annie and the rest of the Camdens found out about the note. 

Ruthie Camden, fourteen years old, would be reported as a missing person at 9:45 PM that evening. The Glenoak Police Department would soon be on the prowl for her and her kidnapper.   


* * *

  


A/N: Ya like? Please REVIEW!!! And for those of you who didn't like: flames keep me warm. ;) 

Ciao, 

Carrie   
  



	6. Under A Sorrowful Sky Part 2

Disclaimer: See chapter one: _Man in the Shadows._   


A/N: Hey, guys, thanks for all the great reviews. Oh, and Camden-Kinkirk, I'm sorry I made you late for work. ;) Enjoy.   
  
  
  


**_Love, Lucy_**   
_Under A Sorrowful Sky (Part 2)_   


* * *

  
  
  
  


_She was trying to show me the letter before I left, _Lucy thought. 

She was sitting alone in her garage apartment, her knees curled up to her chest, her chin resting upon them. Her face was tearstained, although the tears had stopped long ago for the simple reason that she had none left. 

Kevin and Roxanne were both out searching for Ruthie in their cruiser. He wouldn't be home for hours. 

Lucy glanced at the piece of paper that lay idle beside her. Quickly, she looked away, feeling more oncoming tears. She didn't have to reread it to remember what it had said. This creep wanted her to run away to be with him. No telling what he would do with her when she got there. 

There was a sound downstairs. A rattling sound; as if someone was trying to get in. 

Lucy moved from her bed and went to answer the door. 

"Mr. Hunter?" 

Thomas Hunter was standing on the other side of the door holding a small, unmarked brown box. 

"Uh, my friend wanted me to give this to you," Thomas said hurriedly. 

Lucy accepted the package from him and invited him inside. 

"I heard about Ruthie," Thomas explained once they were up in her apartment, two cups of hot coffee in front of them. 

Lucy looked down. Steam rose from her cup and hit her face. "Yeah," she replied weakly. 

"Terrible," Tom muttered. 

Lucy took in a deep breath. "Look--Mr. Hunter--" 

"Please, call me Tom." 

Lucy smiled an apology and continued. "--Tom. I appreciate your sympathy, but I don't really want to talk about my sister right now." 

Tom looked slightly hurt. "Oh! I'm so sorry. It's just that when someone goes missing, people usually want to--" he cut off, afraid that he was just making matters worse. 

"No, it's okay," Lucy stood and went to her bed. She took the letter in her hand and showed it to Tom. "I just think this is who took her. They meant to take me, but--" 

"Holy smokes." 

Lucy's eyebrows came together. "What?" 

"My brother wrote this." Thomas looked up at her, eyes wide.   


* * *

  


"Oh, shut up!" 

A hand came down hard across her face, the force turning her head in the opposite direction. The sound was loud in the quiet room. Like a whip cracking. 

Ruthie had been crying uncontrollably. Of course, it was understandable. This man --monster-- had taken and raped her. 

She swallowed her jagged sobs one by one as they came. There was hardly any words to describe the horrible feeling that she felt. Only one word came to mind: dirty. 

He was on the move again. She couldn't see him; could only hear his feet shuffle through the ocean of dust and dirt. He dropped something by her feet. It was her clothes. Ruthie   
could feel the fabric brushing against her bare leg. 

"Move, and I'll kill ya." 

Ruthie gulped. He was untying the rope around her ankles. 

"You're not even the one I wanted, Jezebel." 

He was dressing her as if she were a small child or a stuffed doll. 

"But I'll get her," he continued. "'Cause now that I have you, she'll come. You just got in my way, that's all. No hard feelings."   


* * *

  


"Kinkirk." Kevin answered his cell phone as he stopped at a stop sign. "Get any leads?" 

Roxanne looked over at her partner with curiosity. Was Detective Michaels calling? Had they figured out where Ruthie was? 

Kevin hung up his cellphone and made a u-turn. 

"That was Michaels. We're heading to 356 Jenkins." 


	7. The Sides Unclear

  


**_Love, Lucy_**   
__

  
  


The two reliable policemen reached their destination, 356 Jenkins, without hassle. They knew their town well, and that was good. Or perhaps the correct term was "required." Yes, knowing their town well was _required. _If they had gotten lost on the job....well-- 

"Police!" Kinkirk busted his best karate move and knocked down the oak wood door. It already had a few cracks in it, therefore easy to break down. Though, we'll let Kevin have his glory. 

Roxanne looked impressed, but said nothing. She was on the job. Not the right time to start cracking jokes about Kinkirk's newfound flexibility. She followed her partner into the run-down house. 

"Looks like our suspect fled the nest already," Roxanne pointed out after quickly scanning the bare living room. 

Without throwing the sarcastic glare that had formed on his face at her, Kevin agreed. "Yeah, looks that way. But looks can be deceiving. We still have to check it out." 

"Duh. What kind of policeman - policewoman - would I be if I didn't follow procedure?" 

Kevin secretly rolled his eyes, irritated. "Just shut up and help me and look around. I'll take these rooms down here." 

"Sorry, Mr. I-Woke-Up-On-The-Wrong-Side-Of-The-Bed-This-Morning," Roxanne retorted, trying to make the dark mood a lighter one. 

"Roxanne, I don't have time for your stupid and childish behavior. Lucy's kid sister is missing and if we don't find her, then-" 

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry." Without waiting for a response, Roxanne set off down the hall and disappearing into one of the empty rooms. 

Kevin sighed and let his tense shoulders relax a bit. He didn't know how much more of the crazy women and crying at home he could take. They had better find Ruthie...and fast.   
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Lucy looked at Tom, her eyes wide, her heart pounding. At first, she was in such shock that she couldn't find any words - or her voice for that matter - and just stared. When Tom had said that his brother wrote the note, her mouth had gone dry. Like some little kid sucking the last drop of milk out of his glass from a straw. 

Lucy swallowed. "You're - you're broth - _brother?" _ she stammered. There was somthing in the air. Something wasn't right. 

"I'd swear it on my grandmother's grave," Tom said. He sounded so sure, that Lucy couldn't help but believe him. 

_Like father, like daughter._

"Tom, we have to call the police! We have to tell them!" Lucy shrieked, reaching for the phone, but Tom batted it out of her hand. "Tom?" 

"No, we can't - can't call the police." 

"Tom?" Lucy was tearing up. "What's the matter with you?" 

Tom grabbed her hands and held them in his own. "Luce-" 

"Please, don't call me 'Luce'." 

"Luc_y, _we can't call the police. This is my brother. My _brother._ I just can't turn him in. We grew up together." 

At first Lucy couldn't understand, but she found a way to relate. "But, Tom. Your brother has my sister. She's in danger." 

Tom bowed his head and tightened his grip on her hands before finally letting them drop back to her sides. 

"I know," Tom said at last. "But if you'll go for it, I have a plan."   
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


"Pete?" Paris Petrowski called to her son who was shut away in his room. "Can I come in?" 

"I don't care," was the weak response. 

Paris turned the knob with a little difficulty because of the items in her hand, but got in okay. Peter was laying on his bed, clutching a pillow to his chest. 

Paris forced a small smile, attempting to cheer Peter up. "I come bearing cookies and milk." 

Peter no more than glanced at the snack before dismissing it. "Milk and cookies won't get Ruthie back any faster." 

Paris sighed. Peter had been like this ever since her first heard Ruthie had been kidnapped. She didn't blame him, but she just wished that he would get out of the house for a while. Not for her own personal jollies, but for him to get some fresh air. He had been cooped up in this stuffy room for a while now. 

When she suggested that he go down to the Camdens and see how they were, he just got huffy and told her to get out.   
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


"You know, you're alright," he told her when he had finished playing dress up and peek-a-boo with her body. "Maybe I'll just keep both of you-" 

Ruthie narrowed her eyes at him and he _smiled_. 

"You got somethin' to say?" he stalked over to where he had chained her up and traced the edges of the duct tape that smothered her mouth and drowned out her hoarse voice. 

Ruthie raised an eyebrow at this ruthless man. She didn't have anything to _say,_ but she had something that she wanted to do. 

The man's short-nailed fingers peeled the duct tape off of her mouth slowly, causing her much pain. "Watch'a gotta say, Jezzy?" 

Ruthie resisted the urge to spit on him, but remembered her morals. Screw the morals, she thought and spit on him anyway. 

Fire rumbled behind the man's eyes. For a second, Ruthie thought he was about to slap her across the face, but instead, he said, "Now, none of that. Do it again, I kill ya." Roughly, he put the tape back over her mouth and left her there to hang in her chains.   
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


"Tom, where are we going?" Lucy asked, instantly becoming afraid. They had past Glenoak's city limits long ago, hours ago. 

"Just trust me," was Tom's shady reply. He grinned as he kept on driving down the desolate road with nothing along it's edges. They were out in the middle of no where. 

_"I'll have you yet, my pretty."_   
__   
__   



	8. Road Trips

**_Love, Lucy_**

* * *

Kevin had arrived home to his cozy garage apartment, only to find it empty. Lucy wasn't at the kitchen table, as she usually was, studying. It looked as if she _had_ been there. Her books, papers, and such, were strewn the length of the wooden table.

_ Funny,_ he thought, _Lucy didn't say that she wouldn't be home._

Kevin inspected the apartment with a quick sweep of his eyes. Nothing seemed to be out of place, except Lucy. He was about to shrug it off and head into the house, when a brown, unmarked box, resting on the bed, caught his eye.

He reached to open it when a white piece of paper next to the box distracted him. It was a note. A note that Lucy had left for him. Her familiar, curvy script, usually neat, looked rushed, as if she wasn't given a lot of time.

It read:

_Dearest Kevin._

_ I've gone off with Tom for the time being. Something has come up, I can't tell you what. I should be back in a few hours._

_ Love,_   
_ Lucy_

Tom. Of course. Tom Hunter could not, under any circumstances, be trusted. His personality was just too _shifty_. Kevin had seen guys like Tom. All criminals of all varieties.

Kevin threw down the note, leaving the box untouched, and left the apartment at a angry, brisk pace.

* * *

The air in the rusty Oldsmobile was stale and stuffy. All the windows were rolled up. When she had asked it roll them down, she had learned to just keep her mouth shut.

Tom had yelled at her and told her, "Mind your own business, blondie."

There was something about his voice, all demonic. Toneless. Villainous. There was something that just made her feel...oh, what was the word. Uncomfortable? Tom had seemed like a completely different person when they had started out. And now, here was this rude, inconsiderate, man. A man with the personality that she did not respect or want to be around.

They had passed Glenoak's city limits hours ago. She couldn't remember where the last rest stop or gas station was. Surely, they were miles and miles behind.

Lucy gazed out of the window and saw nothing but a flat, desert-like, terrain. There were no trees, no buildings, no people. The dirt just ran on and on, never ending. The sun was setting in the far distance. It barely just peeked over the horizon.

Turning away from the window, Lucy glanced over at Tom. He was leaning over the black steering wheel, concentrating on the bumpy road.

_Even his face looks different_, Lucy thought.

The tiny, red, speedometer on the dashboard shook unsteadily between sixty and seventy.

A shiver snaked down Lucy's spine, making the hair on her neck stand on end.

She wanted to ask where they were headed, but knew better. Instead, she swallowed, forcing the lump the had formed in her throat down.

Lucy wrapped her arms around herself, the tips of her acrylic fingernails digging into her upper arms, leaving shallow crescent moons.

* * *

Annie scrubbed the grout vigorously with an old, green toothbrush. The cleaner had needed a little help, and she was glad to give it some. After all, she had some steam to blow off. Also, her daughter was still missing. This thought brought tears to her eyes and she scrubbed harder than ever before.

"Annie."

She vaguely heard her name being called. She was too deep into her thoughts to listen to anything going on outside of her own mind.

"Annie!" Eric called her again, setting a hand down on her shoulder.

Annie jumped, sending the toothbrush flying. She turned and glared at her husband, who got the message.

"Sorry, hun. I just wanted to tell you that I think that section is finished."

She glanced pathetically at the grout that she had worked so hard at, that it was actually beginning to disintegrate. Wiping her hands on a near-by kitchen towel, Annie turned to Eric.

"No, I'm sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't be so...distant."

Eric looked sympathetic, even though Ruthie was his daughter also.

There were no more words that seemed to fit into this very emotional moment. Annie and Eric were together in missing their daughter, as was the rest of the family.

All the other children had wanted to come home, but they weren't allowed to. Simon, Matt, and Sarah were told to stay in school, and Mary was told to stay at home with her son and husband. Although they had all objected, they all obeyed in the end because their parents had assured them that everything was going to be okay. Kevin would find Ruthie and she would be fine.

Eric and Annie, both, wondered if their children had believed them, since they often didn't believe themselves.


	9. Brothers And Sisters

Author's Note: Guys, I am so sorry. My Internet was MIA for about a month, so I couldn't update or anything. Just to let you know. I've _finally_ gotten it back (Yay!). Here's chapter nine. :)   
  
  


**_Love, Lucy_**   
_Brothers...and Sisters_   
_Chapter Nine_

* * *

A car door. Someone nearby had shut their car door, she was sure of it. So sure that she was almost convinced that she was hallucinating. After all, she hadn't eaten in a few days at the most. Heck, even if she _had_ eaten, she didn't know where she was, let alone what was surrounding her. There could be plenty of people close by and not even know that she was in here, waiting to be rescued...or killed. 

He was gone. He had left her earlier that morning in his old poorly- painted Chevy and still hadn't returned. Ruthie did not know what time it was, but the thin, dull light that came streaming in through the cracks told her that the afternoon was quickly fading into early evening. 

The ropes binding her hands together had finally cut off her circulation, leaving them numb, and useless. Her head felt heavy and weak. Even her torso felt weird, stretched. Being tied to a floor does that to you. 

Yet, it wasn't the being bound at the feet and hands that bothered her. It was the fact that her kidnapper had been her father's friend. One of his _best_ friends, in fact. Ruthie had always seen him in church. He sat in the same place every Sunday: third row from the back, first seat in. Made for an easy exit, she supposed. 

How, she wondered, did that man sit through a service and not have doubts about himself? How could he sit there and lie to the Lord? 

Something had just clicked in her mind. Something that took her to her deathbed to realize. He wasn't there for God, no - couldn't be - but he _was_ there for someone. He was there for Lucy. 

_"You're not even the one I wanted, Jezebel.....But I'll get her.....'Cause now that I have you, she'll come."_

That letter....That letter had been from him. This horrible man was stalking her sister. How stupid had she been?! Now, Lucy was on her way, Ruthie was sure of that, too. Poor, naive Lucy was walking right into the trap. Right into the filthy hands of Colton Hunter, Thomas Hunter's brother.   


* * *

Lucy shut her car door after she stepped out onto the smooth, dirt terrain. They were in the desert somewhere. There was nothing out here, not a thing. No people, no sign of civilization for miles. Except that small shack out into the distance, breaking the line where the sky met the ground. 

"Tom," Lucy began. "where are we?" She looked over at him, and saw that he was smiling that sly smile that she didn't trust. 

His hands on his hips, he replied, "Why, baby, we're here." 

Lucy's brow furrowed. Baby? Had he just called her_ baby_!? 

"Okay, but _where_ is here?" she asked, almost regretting doing so. 

Tom's head turned to her so fast, that she was sure that it would have twisted clean off. His eyes became narrow slits. "Don't ask _stupid _ questions." He started off toward the shack, leaving her to follow. 

Lucy's hand went to her side and she clutched the bulge in her right pocket. It was Kevin's old cell phone that she had grabbed off of the night stand before she had gone. If Tom had known that she had it, there would certainly be no more cell phone. 

Reluctantly, Lucy began to follow Tom quite a few steps behind him, afraid of what inevitable things were to happen.   


* * *

Annie had been in the living room with the cordless telephone, just hoping for Detective Michaels to call with news about Ruthie, when she heard the backdoor slam shut. Confused and curious, she made her way into the kitchen, where she found an angry Kevin. 

"Kevin, what - " Annie tried, but he cut her off. 

"Phone, I need the phone," Kevin replied, taking the phone from his mother-in-law. 

"O-kay..." Annie said, wondering what was going on. 

As Kevin was punching numbers, Eric came down the stairs, looking equally confused. Annie shrugged her shoulders as he asked he gave her the what's-going-on look. 

Not understanding Kevin's conversation, Annie and Eric waited until he was off the phone to try asking again. Before they could, Kevin briefly explained: 

"Thomas Hunter has Lucy." 

"Tom? What would _he_ want with Lucy?" Eric asked. 

Annie instantly felt that previous anger boil up inside her. "I'll tell you what Thomas Hunter wants with Lucy, Eric Camden: sex!" Annie jabbed a finger into Eric's chest as she enunciated each word. "I warned you, Eric. I warned you!" 

Eric smartly said nothing, but watched Kevin's face turn red with fury. Kevin turned on his heels and marched out of the house, Eric in tow. Annie was about to follow them both, but was stopped by the ringing phone. 

"Hello?" she answered, hoping that it was Detective Michaels. 

"Mom? It's Simon." 

Annie sighed, disappointed. "Oh, hi, son." 

There was a momentary pause on Simon's end. He obviously caught on to her sinking heart. "I guess they haven't called?" 

"No, they haven't." 

His mother's short answers were beginning to make him feel like she wasn't telling him everything. "Is there something else wrong, Mom?" 

Annie decided that she shouldn't tell Simon, or the rest of the kids, about Lucy until she was sure that she had also been taken hostage. "No, son, nothing else." 

Simon sighed, distressed. "Maybe I should just come home. I can't stand not being with you and Dad right now." 

Annie's voice grew stern, and suddenly confident. "Simon, you know what your father and I told you: stay in school. It's not going to do you any good to come home and sit around with us until we hear something." 

"I know," Simon protested, "but, Mom, think of what you're asking me to do. You're asking me to stay away from my family while my little sister could be rotting away somewhere!" 

"Simon, Ruthie is not dead! You know better than to think like that!" Annie yelled. 

"Maybe not, but being away from my family like this is causing me to think negative thoughts. I need to be comforted just as much as you and Dad do. I need you. _I need to be home_." 

Annie knew she was defeated at this point. There was nothing she could sat that would convince her son to stay at school during this time. "Okay, Simon, but when you get here and everything is the same, don't say I didn't warn you." Also knowing how her son thought, she asked, "What time does your bus come in?" 

"Nine thirty tonight. Thanks, Mom." 

"Yeah." And with that, Annie hung up the phone.   


* * *

Mary lifted her wailing son out of his crib and rocked him in her arms. She heard her husband, Carlos, groan from his place in their bed, and watched him throw a pillow over his head, trying desperately to get eight consecutive hours of sleep. 

The two had been attempting to get their son, Charles Miguel, to go to sleep for the past three hours. It was now one A.M. and still their apartment was loud with screaming. 

Mary carried her son into the small kitchen, and grabbed a fresh bottle out of the refrigerator. Stubbornly, Charlie refused, forcing Mary to put the bottle back and retreat to pacing up and down the equally small living room. 

Almost two hours of this had gone on, and Mary was about reduced to tears. The stresses of not knowing if Ruthie was safe and her child were beginning to take their toll on her. She had tried everything. Tried rocking, tried pacing, tried the bottle, tried the teddy bear, tried the singing, and tried changing his diaper. Nothing had worked. 

"Please, Charlie, please go to sleep," Mary sobbed. 

Carlos, sensing that his wife had not had much luck, appeared from the bedroom and took his son into his own arms. Grateful that it was Carlos's turn, Mary thanked him with her eyes, and fled to the bedroom. She reappeared just minutes later with a suitcase in her hand. 

"Where are you going?" Carlos asked frantically. 

Her hand on the doorknob, Mary turned to look at him and said shortly, "Home." 

Then she was gone, leaving her husband and her, now screeching, child behind.   


* * *


	10. Identification

  


**_Love, Lucy_**   
Chapter Ten:   
_Identification_   
__ __

* * *

  
  
  
Whatever Lucy had mentally prepared herself for, was nothing compared to what she saw. When she and Tom had entered the dank, little shack, the first thing that threw her through a loop was her sister tied to metal links on the floor. She had expected Ruthie to be tied to a wooden chair and gagged with a colorful handkerchief, as it is in the movies. Yet, real life was far different than it was on the silver screen, as she had to learn over and over again. 

Ruthie's head snapped to the two that had just entered, moonlight pouring in from the open doorway behind them. Her eyes grew wide when she realized it was Lucy, but Ruthie's heart seemed to stop when she saw that she was not alone. She yearned to tell Lucy that she had just walked into a trap....A trap that Thomas Hunter was a part of. 

Lucy, finally comprehending that this was real, appeared to silently gasp and rushed over to her sister. Kneeling down near Ruthie's head, Lucy reached for the gray duct tape and ripped it off. Ruthie's watering eyes matched those of Lucy's. 

"Sorry," Lucy apologized. 

"It's a trap, Luce. You have to get _out_," Ruthie whispered in an urgent tone, her voice horse having not spoken in days. 

Lucy's brow furrowed as she lowered her voice, "And leave you here to die? I don't think so."   
  
Acting quickly, Lucy reached for the ropes binding Ruthie's wrists and tried to untie them. Unfortunately, they were too tight, but Lucy wasn't going to give up very easily. 

"Luce, I know who it was, the man that sent you the letter. It was -" Just before she was about to reveal her kidnapper's name, he waltzed into the room, a brown, paper bag in his hand. 

Lucy looked over her shoulder, her mouth gaping. "You..." was all Lucy managed. She stood as Colton came further into the room. 

"Yes, Lucy, it was me." Colton wore a sly smile, identical to his brother's. He shoved the bag into Tom's hands. 

Compared to Thomas, Colton was a big man, built, more so around the arms. His thick, brown hair and deep, blue eyes made him remarkably handsome and seemed trustworthy at first glance. But if you looked into his eyes, deep into his eyes, you could see that they portrayed a man, a dangerous man. 

Colton ran a rough, warm hand slowly and smoothly down the side of Lucy's face. He smiled as she looked into her eyes, searching them. 

"I've dreamed of this day, Lucy. The day you become my wife." He dropped his hand. "For you are beautiful. More beautiful than the reddest of roses or the grace of God. I've been waiting, waiting, waiting, so long for this. It's about time I get a taste of you." 

Lucy could feel his foul, hot breath on her face. Had the situation been different, she would have retorted, but this case was too sensitive. She smartly stayed quiet. 

Colton twisted to face his brother. "You ready?" Tom nodded. "Good. Give me the bag." The brother obliged, and for the first time, Lucy and Ruthie saw just what was in that bag: a sharp, silver knife. 

Lucy stepped back, instincts taking over, and almost tripped over her sister in the act. "Whoa. What are you going to do with that?!" she frantically asked. 

Colton's face became oddly blank, his voice toneless. He handed the knife to his brother. 

"Cut her."   


* * *

Annie consulted her wristwatch. Five after nine - time to go pick up Simon at the bus station. She set the yellow coffee mug that she held in her hand down on the marble countertop, then snatched the car keys and pocketed them. Quickly, Annie roused the boys from their slumber. She hated to do this, for they would be cranky, and strapped them into the mini van. 

The streets were quiet tonight, hardly any cars out on the road. In the sky, the moon, large and round, shone its great light down on the little town. Everything seemed so peaceful and, usually, she would have enjoyed this if two of her three daughters weren't missing. Annie genuinely hoped that Lucy and Ruthie were okay, hoped that they would be returned to her soon, and hoped that their kidnappers were sent away to jail for a very, very, long time.   


* * *

Lucy's stomach bottomed out. "W-What?" she stammered. She slid in front of Ruthie, protecting her. 

A crooked smile appeared on Colton's face. "Relax, sweetie. It's not going to hurt her." 

"Are you crazy?!" Lucy screamed, then came to the conclusion that that was a stupid question. Of course you are, she silently added. 

Colton sighed irritably. "The ropes. Cut the ropes." 

She suddenly felt like an idiot, as she had so many times before, and moved out of the way. 

Just as Tom started in on the ropes, Colton spoke again, "I'm going out to the car." He looked at Lucy, then at Ruthie. "Any moves made will cost you. Remember that knife can do more than cut up ropes....It can kill." With a fierce, threatening look at both sisters, Colton turned on his heels and left the room.   


* * *

Kevin and Eric were out the front door and into the police cruiser when Kevin's cell phone rang. Checking the ID of the called before he answered, his heart fluttered. It was his old work phone, Lucy must have known something was fishy about Tom's behavior and taken it with her. His heart fluttered, a feeling of hope settling in. 

"Why are we stopping?" Eric asked as they pulled over. 

"Luce?" Kevin answered. Lucy didn't reply, and he instantly knew that she was in more trouble than she bargained for. There was background noise...loud music and voices. He listened closely, figuring Lucy was sending him a signal, and smiled proudly. 

"Where are we going?" Lucy's voice had sounded, barely audible over the music. 

Kevin heard another voice, a man's voice, reply, "Down to that twenty-four hour chapel in Kendall to get married, my pet." 

The dial tone had told Kevin that Lucy had hung up and that it was up to him now. Up to him to save her. 

Quickly dialing the station, Kevin briefly told Eric where Lucy was. He didn't know if Ruthie was with them, but chances were, she was.   


* * *


	11. Marriage

  


**_Love, Lucy_**   
_Chapter Eleven: Marriage_   
__ __

* * *

  
  


"Am I the only one who ever _listens_?" Matt asked his mother who was on the other end of the phone. He was pacing around the small living room, running his free hand through his short hair. 

"Are they both home?" his wife, Sarah, asked as she appeared from the kitchen, carrying two steaming mugs of coffee. 

Matt looked at her briefly and nodded before returning to his conversation with Annie. 

Sarah set Matt's cup down on the side table and stayed to listen. 

"Okay, well, I guess I'll see you then. Love you, too. Bye." Matt hung up the phone and consulted his wife. "Mary and Simon both showed up on Mom and Dad's doorstep. Simon last night and Mary this morning." 

Sarah managed a small chuckle. "Well you should have expected it, Matt. If it weren't for school, we probably would have been there in a heart beat. Even if your parents said not to." 

Matt seemed to think for a moment, then sighed, a grin creeping onto his face. "Yeah, you're right." 

Sarah's eyes twinkled. It was the first time in days that she had seen her husband smile. He had been so caught up with worrying about his sister, Ruthie, that he hadn't had time to be himself, be happy.   
  
"Did she say that there was any news about Ruthie?" Sarah asked. 

The smile gone and the worry back, Matt replied, "No, but I think there was something that she wasn't telling me. When I asked about Lucy, she changed the subject." Matt paused. "Do you think there's something going on with Luce?" 

Sarah sipped her tea, then shrugged. Matt slumped onto the couch next to her, looking disappointed and concerned.   


* * *

Annie had been avoiding the question. Her plan about not saying a thing wasn't working out very well, now that Mary and Simon were there. Before, it had been easy. When she had been communicating to them through the telephone, she could have easily created distractions and reasons for her to quickly say good-bye. There was certainly no more of that. They were home and when Lucy didn't make an appearance, those questions were going to rise. And rise, they did. 

Mary had been through the whole house and she couldn't find Lucy anywhere. Certainly her mother knew where she was. Annie had been cornered in the kitchen. Obviously, Simon had the same idea. 

"Where's Lucy?" Mary asked, just as Simon had entered the room. 

Annie, a spatula in her hand, stopped dishing scrambled eggs onto plates and deeply sighed. Leaving the spatula on the counter, she made her way over to the table and took a seat. She motioned for her children to follow suit. When Simon had sat down, Mary asked again, becoming afraid. 

As Annie spoke, she looked into each child's eyes. "Lucy disappeared with Thomas Hunter yesterday. Kevin and your father left to look for both her and Ruthie, but I haven't heard from them since." Annie clasped her hands that were resting on her lap, her eyes glancing from Mary to Simon. "I'm so sorry that I didn't say anything. I didn't want to worry you any more than you already are." 

Silence filled the room as minds raced, trying to comprehend what Annie had said. Blood pounding in his ears, Simon raised his gaze to meet his mother's. 

"You lied to me." Simon's voice was low and angry. "I was with you in the car yesterday. I asked you how everyone was doing, including Lucy, and you said they were fine." He stood, the chair scraping along the floor. His hands balled into fists. "How could not have told me?! How could you lie to me?!" 

When Annie tried to explain, Simon left the room in a furious rage. Realizing that her actions, however good they were intended, only hurt in the end. That was the last thing that she wanted to do. 

Turning to Mary, Annie's eyes were misty. Mary was staring a hole right through the wood, her breathing uneven. 

"Mary," Annie started. 

Mary's eyes snapped to her mother. She, too, was angry.   
  
"I'm _so_ sorry." Annie realized her voice had sounded as if she were pleading for forgiveness, and in a way she was. Yet, this attempt failed also. 

Mary walked from the room in her brother's footsteps, leaving her mother to drown in her sorrows.   


* * *

Kevin's foot was already putting the petal to the metal, but it didn't seem fast enough. With Eric in the seat next to him, it wasn't any easier to concentrate on getting to Lucy, as he kept asking questions about the phone call. Kevin had already told him as much as he could, but that wasn't enough for Eric. 

His knuckles turning white on the wheel, Kevin hoped that he wasn't too late.   


* * *

"You have to stall," Ruthie explained urgently in her sister's ear. "They can't start the ceremony without the bride." 

Lucy looked at her and then at Colton, who was standing with his brother and the minister, talking animatedly. There was some kind of hold up already, and Lucy's had to planned just right for it to work. That, she knew, but what to stall about, was another thing. 

"Say you have to use the rest room," Ruthie suggested, picking up on Lucy's silence. 

Lucy shrugged. "It's worth a shot." Lucy straightened in her seat, noticing Colton and Thomas coming their way. 

Colton smiled. "Okay, everything's set up. The damn minister was saying there was another couple before us, but I fixed that." He took a breath. "Ready?" 

"Actually," Lucy stammered, gesturing with her hand. "I have to use the rest room." 

Colton's eyes narrowed, sensing that Lucy had a plan. "We don't have time." He grabbed her none too nicely around the upper arm and dragged her into the small chapel where the minister had just disappeared only moments before. 

Thomas took Ruthie's arm and did the same, pulling her behind them.   
  
Lucy's heart was beating wildly. She didn't know how far away Kevin was, didn't know if he would get here in time. 

Oh, God, let him get here in time, Lucy prayed. 

She and Colton were now at the alter, facing the minister. Lucy saw Ruthie and Thomas standing off to the side, acting as the two witnesses. She was beginning to think that Ruthie's being taken was part of the plan, not just some perk that came with the deal. Colton needed Ruthie just as much as he needed Lucy. 

"We are gathered here today," the minister began, looking happily at Lucy and Colton. "to marry this man and this woman - " 

The door burst open and Kevin came in, flanked by Eric and a few other police officers. Lucy and Colton turned around, while the minister looked up from his bible and stared with wide, confused eyes. 

"That's never going to happen. She's already married...to me."   


* * *

  
  
  


  


  
  



	12. All We Have Is Time

  


**_Love, Lucy_**   
_Chapter Twelve:_   
_All We Have Is Time_

* * *

"You were awesome yesterday," Lucy Kinkirk told her husband as they lay in bed that morning. She had told him this over and over, and every time, he smiled. How she missed that smile. 

Kevin rolled over to face her. He planted a passionate kiss on her soft lips and whispered, "I love you." 

Lucy chuckled. "I love you, too." She paused a moment, then spoke again, "Thank you. You know, for rescuing Ruthie and me." 

"Any time. What's for breakfast?" He looked at her innocently. 

Lucy rolled her eyes and got up laughing.   


* * *

Annie had just gotten off the phone with Matt, telling him that Ruthie was safe. She had also explained about Lucy, and like Mary and Simon, Matt was upset at first, but happy that she was okay. 

Just as she had turned back to setting the table for breakfast, Eric entered. Annie smiled up at him as he began helping her. Yesterday and last night had been quite emotional. Eric had called her from the hospital, saying that they had found Ruthie and Lucy. Thomas and Colton Hunter had been behind it the whole time. Over and over again, Eric had been apologizing to Annie, for doubting her. She was still upset over the ordeal, but it would be quite some time before she was over it completely. 

Again, Eric apologized, picking up a plate. "Annie, I am really sorry for being so ignorant. I should have taken your side." 

Annie stopped and looked at him, tears in her eyes. "Eric, every time you tell me this, I say the same thing. This time is no different. It's going to take some time for me - for all of us - to heal. Especially, Ruthie." 

Eric nodded, listening intently. 

"We don't know what went on in the time period that she was missing. Apologies aren't going to take away my worry for her. They aren't going to take away her pain." Annie sighed, going back to the silverware and plates. "It's just going to take some time." 

"Yeah," Eric agreed. "Time."   


* * *

Simon was sitting on his bed, tying a shoe, when there was a knock at his door. 

"Who is it?" Simon called, hoping that it wasn't his mother, who he was still very upset with even after Lucy and Ruthie had been returned home. 

"It's Mary." 

He sighed, starting in on his other shoe. "Come in." 

Mary appeared a moment later. She gave him a weak smile. "Can we talk?" she asked, shutting the door behind her. 

Simon let his foot fall back to the ground. "Sure." Mary sat down beside him. "What's up?" 

"Are you still angry with Mom about not telling us?" she asked. 

Instantly, Simon was defensive. "Yes, and I have every right to be. She should have told us." 

Mary let out a sigh and nodded. "I know she should have, but she didn't. I'm still kind of angry with her, but I feel bad about it." 

Simon lowered his head. "I didn't want to say anything, because I am still mad at her, but I feel bad, too." 

"Should we apologize?" Mary asked him. 

Simon rested his chin on his hand, thinking.   


* * *

They had found Annie in the kitchen with Eric. When the two parents spotted them, Eric spoke: 

"I'll leave you guys alone." 

Annie watched her husband leave before turning to her kids. She took a breath, wondering if they were here to say they were sorry, or chew her out some more. 

"Mom, can we talk?" Simon asked. 

Behind him, Mary spoke up, "Yeah, we want to apologize for acting the way we did." 

Annie smiled, realizing, as she had over the years, that she and Eric had taught their children well. She nodded, and Simon and Mary breathed sighs of relief. 

Simon came and stood in front of her. "Mom, I'm sorry about the way I spoke to you. I was out of line, but I was upset." 

Annie pulled her son into a loving embrace. "Thank you, Simon. I think I owe the two of you an apology also." 

"No, Mom," Mary said. "You've already apologized." Mary came to join them. 

"Still, I'm sorry," Annie insisted, hugging her daughter. 

Simon put his hands in his pockets. "We're just glad that Lucy and Ruthie are both okay," he explained. 

"Yeah. Have you talked to Ruthie since she came home?" Mary asked, her brow furrowed. 

Annie shook her head, her expression grave. "No. I just feel like there's something that she's not telling me."   


* * *

Peter walked with Ruthie through the park that afternoon. He had been dying to see her, and this was his first chance. At first, he had wanted to hold her hand, but the second their fingers brushed together, Ruthie had jerked away. Not knowing why she wasn't up to holding his hand, after all, he was her boyfriend, he shrugged it off and they continued their stroll. 

Sitting together on a white bench, Peter tried to strike up a conversation. So far, they had walked in silence, the only sound made by the rocks grinding underfoot. He looked at his girlfriend, only to find that she seemed extremely sad and troubled. 

"Ruthie, you don't seem very happy. I mean, I'm not one to tell you how you should feel after what you've been through, but...shouldn't you be glad that you're home?" Peter watched Ruthie's face, hoping for some kind of reaction, but got none. 

Ruthie stared off into the distance. Taking a breath, she began in a quiet voice. "I am glad that I'm home, it's not that. Ever since I was abducted, I've had a secret. A secret that's so painful, I cannot tell my family. A secret that I'm so ashamed that I have, I just can't-" Ruthie looked down at her shoes as her voice cracked and her eyes filled with fresh tears. 

Peter had just become overwhelmed with a feeling that what she was about to tell him was something so horrible, he would have nightmares about it. "What's your secret, Ruthie?" he asked, dread taking over. 

Ruthie's bright eyes looked at him so deeply that he could almost feel her pain. "Peter, I was raped."   
  
  
  


**_The End_**   
  



End file.
